Jeremy Deller goes Poking About in Bradford's past – in pictures

Jeremy Deller goes Poking About in Bradford's past – in pictures

Jeremy Deller's latest exhibition offers a fresh look at Britain's cultural heritage via a treasure trove of vintage portraits discovered beneath a former photography studio. Devoted to the people and places of Bradford's past, many of the shots are extremely moving, showing immigrants newly arrived in the country posing for pictures to send back to - and reassure - their worried families.
Poking About opens tomorrow at Bradford Gallery

When the Belle Vue Studio closed in 1975, thousands of glass negatives were left in the cellar. Turner prize-winning artist Jeremy Deller ploughed through all of them, selecting 50 of his favourites for the exhibit

Jeremy Deller's artworks often focus on the lives of ordinary people. 'These pictures show the richness of Bradford,' he says. 'They are very striking, often very formal and show an important part of the subjects' lives'